It is strange to watch a band who has been signed to Warner Brothers since 1997 set up and check its own instruments, yet this is exactly how Built to Spill began its concert.
It also set up a projection screen and a projector that showed art similar to the album art of its newest release “You in Reverse.”
The band kicked off its set with the emotionally charged and exciting “Liar” and quickly fell into a rhythm, holding that energy.
But as the concert progressed past the first few songs, the band-except for front man Doug Martsch-seemed to lose interest in the show. This is not that hard of a thing to imagine, considering the band tends to play extremely similar sets at every stop on a tour.
Regardless of the reasons, Martsch was the only one who managed to capture the energy his songs tend to convey, until the band launched into the nearly ten minute “Goin’ Against Your Mind.”
The problems did not end merely at a lack of energy in the midsection of the concert.
There is something to be said about a band who believes in something. There is nothing wrong with a band holding and putting forth political beliefs, assuming that it does not interfere with a show. Coldplay is a great example of this. Chris Martin, a strong advocate for Make Trade Fair, writes those very words on his hand for every concert and offers sign-up booths in the lobbies of the venues he plays. But he does not make it part of the show.
Built to Spill, on the other hand, did just that. About 75 percent through the show, Martsch loaded his DVD player with a muddled and confusing film about the right-wing attack on eco-terrorism, which played for about 15 minutes as the band jammed in the background.
No one at that concert paid $15 to learn about this. They paid $15 to watch Built to Spill play music for a couple of hours.
As annoying as a blatant political statement (or in this case film) can be, it does not quite ruin a show. It does steal from the momentum the band has built up, and Built to Spill had a lot of momentum at this point, never stopping even to say more than a quick “thank you” to the crowd.
But the thing that really kept the show from being exceptional was a problem many bands have, but a band that has been around for 14 years should be able to handle it. Built to Spill’s unique use of three guitars and bass may sound incredible on record, but in concert the guitars blend together. The volumes on the guitars were off, so when the band decides to launch into its 20 minute closer, the solos begin to blend together into a static noise.
It is extremely hard to entertain anyone when a song that sits at six minutes on an album is extended for another 14, and Built to Spill fell into that trap at the end of its show.
The band put on an entertaining show and plays its instruments quite well, but it still suffered from amateur mistakes that should never be seen from a band this old.
—–Contact Travis Andrews at tandrews@lsureveille.com